Cardiff Kook becomes Cupid

ENCINITAS  The Cardiff Kook took on the role of Cupid on Valentine’s Day.

Someone outfitted him with Cupid’s bow and wings and decorated with him with messages of love, (“#1 Lover”) red and silver balloons and red and white streamers.

The Valentine’s Day get-up is the latest for the bronze statue that depicts a boy learning to surf. When the work was unveiled in 2007, surfers almost immediately made fun of it. They said his pose was awkward, effeminate and not technically sound. The statue, officially called “Magic Carpet Ride,” soon became known as the Cardiff Kook.

While pranksters festoon the statue periodically year round, they also seem to key on holidays, such as for Halloween it was dressed as Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th movies, and for a Veteran’s Day it wore a military outfit.

The pranks have even led to postcards and a popular calendar featuring the statue and its costumes.